# Songs That Wouldn't Fly Today **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227 "2017-01-26T15:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/161 "2017-02-09T18:30:12Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > I love the song, but to be honest, I’m not sure how The Crucifucks got away with [Hinkley Had a Vision](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8imEc6yR8Q) back in the day. > > I’m pretty sure AT would release it today, but I can’t imagine the stink it would raise. I’m not sure why it’s different from a lot of other punk and post punk. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/162 "2017-02-10T16:16:35Z")
The first thing I thought of was Meri Wilson - [Telephone Man (1977)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTDzFUlrDYM) ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/163 "2017-02-10T18:13:53Z")
> [@amanset](#): > > Maybe it is the circles I keep, but last Christmas people really turned against “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” due to the rapeyness of the lyrics. It’s the circles you keep. Issue was discussed on the Dope at that time (and the Dope is where I first ever heard about it) and IIRC the majority here came down on the side that it’s a perfectly cromulent ditty. Fer cryin’ out loud for the last two Christmases Barnes & Noble has been running a TV \*commercial \*of Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga dueting that song. ---
**Author:** ![Hocus\_Pocus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/41988e/32.png) [@Hocus\_Pocus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hocus_Pocus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/164 "2017-02-10T18:40:08Z")
I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned this one, as I heard it a lot during my teens in the 70’s: Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights) by Pat Travers (DV) I will note that some of these songs can easily be done today. Getting airplay with them is a totally different kettle of fish. And “most stations” cleaning up lyrics generally means that iHeart won’t let the song go out unedited. Find a non-corporate rock station & you’ll hear the unedited version. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/165 "2017-02-10T18:40:44Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > It’s the circles you keep. > > Issue was discussed on the Dope at that time (and the Dope is where I first ever heard about it) and IIRC the majority here came down on the side that it’s a perfectly cromulent ditty. Fer cryin’ out loud for the last two Christmases Barnes & Noble has been running a TV \*commercial \*of Tony Bennet and Lady Gaga dueting that song. IIRC, we had two threads running concurrently just this past December. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/166 "2017-02-16T16:58:50Z")
I thought of two more: “Dude Looks Like A Lady”- Aerosmith. Yeah, that ain’t happening these days. “If the South Woulda Won”- Hank Williams jr. This was a major hit in 1988. It is actually a fun song, basically showcasing something specific about each of the southern states. For a myriad of reasons we would not “Have it made!”, had the Confederacy prevailed. I think it was mentioned earlier, but I will also throw in: “I’d Love to Change the World”- Ten Years After. The line about “Dykes and Fairies, tell me where is the sanity”. Oddly though, I feel without that line, it would be a hit among the political left. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/167 "2017-02-16T17:44:45Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > “Dude Looks Like A Lady”- Aerosmith. Yeah, that ain’t happening these days. Or at the very least it would require some consideration of context. This (from the Wiki on the song) is probably not the best use of it: > [@](#): > > On August 27, 2013, Fox News played this song while introducing Chelsea Manning. As well as the use of masculine pronouns and the use of Chelsea’s original name, the use of this song by the network received backlash by commentators. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/168 "2017-02-16T19:00:01Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > I thought of two more: > > “Dude Looks Like A Lady”- Aerosmith. Yeah, that ain’t happening these days. > > “If the South Woulda Won”- Hank Williams jr. This was a major hit in 1988. It is actually a fun song, basically showcasing something specific about each of the southern states. For a myriad of reasons we would not “Have it made!”, had the Confederacy prevailed. > > I think it was mentioned earlier, but I will also throw in: > > “I’d Love to Change the World”- Ten Years After. The line about “Dykes and Fairies, tell me where is the sanity”. Oddly though, I feel without that line, it would be a hit among the political left. Two-thirds of these songs are still played on radio stations I listen to, and that’s probably only because I refuse to listen to any station which plays any Hanks Williams not The First. How the Hell do they _not_ fly today? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@The\_Pork-Chop\_Express](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Pork-Chop_Express)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/169 "2017-02-16T19:03:14Z")
Jimmy Soul - If You Want To Be Happy [- YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NF5XU-k2Vk) - The lyrics are under the video. Catchy as hell, though! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/170 "2017-02-16T19:57:56Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Two-thirds of these songs are still played on radio stations I listen to, and that’s probably only because I refuse to listen to any station which plays any Hanks Williams not The First. > > How the Hell do they _not_ fly today? I think the point is, if a fresh young up-and-coming band penned any of these songs these days, the record companies wouldn’t let them fly. Which, of course, is arguable. I think a lot of these songs wouldn’t be given a second look if they went out on some indy label, but there’s no way Warner Bros (or whatever - I don’t know her label) wants Adele out there singing, “Dykes and fairies …” etc. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/171 "2017-02-16T20:26:53Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I think the point is, if a fresh young up-and-coming band penned any of these songs these days, the record companies wouldn’t let them fly. Which, of course, is arguable. I think a lot of these songs wouldn’t be given a second look if they went out on some indy label, but there’s no way Warner Bros (or whatever - I don’t know her label) wants Adele out there singing, “Dykes and fairies …” etc. You nailed it. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/172 "2017-02-16T20:38:20Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > I think the point is, if a fresh young up-and-coming band penned any of these songs these days, the record companies wouldn’t let them fly. Which, of course, is arguable. I think a lot of these songs wouldn’t be given a second look if they went out on some indy label, but there’s no way Warner Bros (or whatever - I don’t know her label) wants Adele out there singing, “Dykes and fairies …” etc. That’s believable, sure, but you could say the same about songs with lyrics like “And I dreamed I saw the bomber jet planes riding shotgun in the sky,/Turning into butterflies above our nation.”, simply because that song belongs to a very specific cultural moment which is now long gone. It isn’t offensive unless you think the Sermon on the Mount is Communist propaganda, but it isn’t something a modern band could sing without getting laughed out of the recording studio. (The only reason CSN And Sometimes Y got away with it was something in the air, anyway… ) And, as you say, minor labels and completely independent artists obey different rules, because there aren’t as many jobs riding on their success. After all, it isn’t like they have access to a low-cost, high-volume distribution mechanism which could potentially rocket someone who never signed to a label in their life to widespread, mainstream success _oh wait_. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/173 "2017-02-16T21:06:42Z")
> [@TonySinclair](#): > > Is this entire thread a whoosh, or is this just the whitest board in the world? I was wondering the same thing. I don’t see any rap in here. Nor for that matter heavy metal type music. I mean if a song about a 17 and a 20nyear old hooking up is scandalous I wonder how some edgier music would be received. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/174 "2017-02-16T21:56:22Z")
Rap/Hip-Hop seems to get a pass. As a white dude, I am not going to touch the subject with a ten foot pole. Checking my prvilege, I suppose. Metal is not mainstream, and doesn’t get a lot of airplay. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/175 "2017-02-16T22:10:12Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > “I’d Love to Change the World”- Ten Years After. The line about “Dykes and Fairies, tell me where is the sanity”. Oddly though, I feel without that line, it would be a hit among the political left. It’s amazing how that song is misunderstood. To properly get it, you have it break it down into couplets and then imagine two different groups hurling charge and response. Group A: Everywhere is freaks and hairies Dykes and fairies, tell me where is sanity Group B: Tax the rich, feed the poor Till there are no rich no more Group A: Population keeps on breeding Nation bleeding, still more feeding economy Group B: Life is funny, skies are sunny Bees make honey, who needs money, Monopoly Admittedly, it’s not the most coherent political statement. But there are two counterpoised voices talking past one another. Alvin Lee is not attacking his own side all the way through. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/176 "2017-02-16T22:21:39Z")
It would be interesting to see modern reactions to “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/177 "2017-02-17T00:24:21Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > Rap/Hip-Hop seems to get a pass. As a white dude, I am not going to touch the subject with a ten foot pole. Checking my prvilege, I suppose. > > Metal is not mainstream, and doesn’t get a lot of airplay. To be honest, though, I can’t think of any heavy metal lyrics off the top of my head that would fit the OP. Maybe some 80s hair metal, but most of the metal I’m familiar with (which, really, is mostly thrash type) isn’t about those sorts of subjects. I’m not a connoisseur, though, just a casual listener. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/178 "2017-02-17T00:33:34Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > It would be interesting to see modern reactions to “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” Play it on the radio and continue to churn out metal and industrial music which is millions of times more nihilistic. Could it get airtime were it made today? I dunno, the cowbell has kind of gone out of fashion in rock music: It wouldn’t sound like any modern genre, in that the genres it once fit into have all evolved into different forms and it, being a specific song, remains frozen in time. A modern cover might do well, or it might sink; my point is, its lyrics are less objectionable than most of what a metal or modern rock station would be playing these days. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/179 "2017-02-17T04:30:08Z")
And if two people do it, in harmony, they may think they’re both faggots and They won’t take either of them. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2017, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227/180 "2017-02-17T04:40:18Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > I was wondering the same thing. I don’t see any rap in here. Nor for that matter heavy metal type music. I mean if a song about a 17 and a 20nyear old hooking up is scandalous I wonder how some edgier music would be received. It’s like this thread is in some bizarro world where no one has listened to any music from the past 30 years. Read the lyrics to some of the current top songs, they make most of what’s been posted in this thread look G-rated. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-wouldnt-fly-today/778227.md?page=10)